I've been invited to join the Meet My Character Blog Tour and introduce a character from one of my novels. Thank you FM Kahren for the invitation. Frank has written some great novels. Learn more about his books at: http://www.fmkahren.blogspot.com

Now, I'd like to introduce my character, Winna Beckman. She rides tall in the saddle on the pages of my newly released novel, Riding Babyface.She is fictional, but the names and personalities of her dog and horse in the story are real, inspired by my childhood pets. With some changes, the story setting is based on the town and house where I grew up. Enough said. I'll stop jabbering and let Winna introduce herself. ****Hi, everyone. Nice to meet you. My name is Winna Beckman. It's the summer of 1957 when my family moves to a small farm near Arroyo Viejo on California's central coast. I'm fourteen, and I'll start 9th grade at a new school this fall. I dread going to high school. Maybe I'm not smart enough. Maybe I'll flunk out.

Besides worrying about bad grades, I won’t know anyone except my older sister, Veronica. She calls me a pesky tag-along, and says hanging out with her is a definite no-no. Oh well, making friends is never easy, real ones, not the kind that whisper about you behind your back. Perhaps it is an advantage no one knows anything about me or my family.More than anything, I want a horse. I'm thrilled down to mytoes, when Daddy buys not just one, but two mares. One is named Snafu, and is due to foal soon. I sooo look forward to that. The other mare, Babyface, is a brat, and not so easy to ride. If I'm going to be the best horseback rider ever, and train horses for the circus someday, I've got to practice my riding skills. Despite Babyface's frequent misbehaviors, riding her is my favorite thing to do in the world. Mama says I'm horse crazy. Then Ben moves next door and makes my heart flutter. I never expected to act goo-goo over a boy the way my sister does. Problem is, Ben seems to like my scheming sister, and doesn't seem to mind the attentions of the other neighbor girls, Trudy and Jenny Lee, either. Dang it all. How can I get him to fall for me? I'm sort of a tomboy and don't know how to flirt, or do all that girly stuff like paint my fingernails. Even worse, my mother's drinking problem may spoil any hope I have of winning Ben's heart.

Next week, keep following the Meet My Character Blog Tour and join these authors.B.A. KellyA native of Chicago, author Bonnie Kelly has also called Michigan, Arizona, Washington and Hawaii home. Over the last forty years, she has lived throughout California and finally settled on the Central Coast in Northern Santa Barbara County. Bonnie has worked in various arenas such as folding billboard posters, working as a file clerk and waitress, stocking shelves, hairdressing, bartending, as a flight coordinator, being a housewife, and as a certified structural welder in the Boilermaker's Union. She published a small town newspaper for over five years, and earned an A.S. degree in Library Science.

Bonnie writes westerns under the name, B.A. Kelly, and has had two a western novels published. Blessings, Bullets and Bad Bad Men (which was nominated for a Peacemaker Award as the best new western of 2011) and Wild Justice. She's also had a short story, Reflections, published in an anthology, Scattered Hearts. They are all available as ebooks and in print at Amazon.Her website is http://www.bonniekelly.org

Barbara M. Hodges

Barbara M. Hodges lives in Nipomo, California. She is the author or co/author of nine published works of fiction. The Blue Flame,The EmeraldDagger and The Silver Angel are the first three books in her young adult fantasy series. Return of the Ancients is not part of her series, but takes place in her fantasy land, Daradawn. Aftermathcontains three pieces of shorter fantasy fiction written for adults. Barbara has also co-authored two suspense novels, Ice and One Last Sin, with Randolph Tower. A Spiral of Echoes, written with Maggie Pucillo, is a paranormal romance set in Baja, Mexico. Shadow Worlds, co-authored with Darrell Bain is pure science fiction. Barbara also has short stories in three anthologies.

Barbara shares her life with her husband Jeff, two basset hound scamps, Hamlet and Heidi, as well as with a sassy ginger-striped feline, Wallace. When she isn’t writing she likes to design and create jewelry. She is a member of San Luis Obispo, California Nightwriters, Sisters in Crime and Public Safety Writers Association. Her critique group, The Santa Maria Word Wizards, is celebrating its twentieth reunion this year. She is a founding member.

Barbara also hosts a monthly program, No Limits, on Blog Talk Radio, where she talks with those involved in the field of writing. All of her books are in print and electronic format and can be purchased on the Internet and other brick and mortar stores. Website: http://barbaramhodges.comBlog: http://barbarahodges.wordpress.com/Beverly Stowe McClureMost of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps pictures of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. She also enjoys visiting with her family and teaching a women’s Sunday school class at her church. To relax she plays the piano. Thank you, Mom, for making/encouraging me to practice. Her cats do not appreciate good music and run when she tickles the ivories. She is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.

May is National Pet Month. Studies say loving, nurturing, and stroking a pet keeps us healthy. I happily live with three very intelligent pets, a cat and two horses. Early to bed and early to rise is supposed to be good for your health, and my cat, with his amazing awareness of time, wants me to stay healthy so makes sure I rise early. Since my cat alarm clock woke me before six o'clock, at sunup I trek out to the corrals to feed my pasture pets. Glad to see me, my horses greet me with loud whinnies, knowing breakfast hay will soon be served. My cat and horses' companionship lift my mood, and early rising, fresh air, and exercise is good for my health. Over the years, I've been lucky to have loved many wonderful pets, and true stories about them often sneak into my novels. The horse in my latest novel, Riding Babyface, was named after my first horse, who pulled many of the shenanigans mentioned in the story. I got the name Puppy, the loyal dog in the story, from a pet who really belonged to my family, and like Winna in the story, Puppy saved me from a vicious dog attack. Pets have always been a huge part of my life. I'm blessed by their friendship. Memories of them are precious, and I'll never forget the lessons they taught me.

When I recently cleaned out my filing cabinet, I found a few tests I used years ago when applying for my United States Dressage Federation’s Bronze Medal Rider Award. To earn the award, I had to achieve a score of at least 60% at a USDF recognized show, on two different rides, judged by two different judges, at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels.

Dressage tests are performed in a 20 x 60 meter (about 66 feet x 198 feet) arena, and require specific movements be executed at letters placed around the arena. Each movement is scored from 0 to 10 with a remark. When riding a test, my goal was to achieve a score of seven or above on each movement. To do this, my horse and I had to work as a team, precisely and well—no easy task.Though I rarely attained the score I wanted, I enjoyed training my horse for dressage events, and learned a lot from those competitions. If I made a mistake during a test, I learned to keep my cool and ride each step, because the whole test was judged, not just that one error. I learned to accept criticism. The dressage judge not only pointed out my mistakes, but also gave positive comments for improvement. This gave me a goal and inspired me to work on my riding skills. Improvement in dressage only comes through wet saddle blankets, the rider’s dedication to practice, and a don’t give-up-even-though-I’m-sweaty attitude, much like a writer needs to finish a writing project, or deal with the disappointments and difficulties encountered in getting published. Years ago, I took an English class that edited a book to be published by Hancock College. The students in the class also critiqued each other’s stories. The rules were to say something positive and give constructive comments. The experience of having my horse’s every stride scrutinized by a stern judge gave me an appreciation for the benefit of accepting someone else’s opinion. Even so, scrutiny is never easy; for some reason, the pleasure of a multitude of positive remarks doesn’t seem to take the sting out of even a tiny negative one. It was the first time a group critiqued my writing. I was nervous. My voice quivered when I read my story to them. But the many times I had halted at X in the center of the arena at the end of a dressage test taught me you-can-do-it-if-you-stick-to-it. Now, even after having a few books published, I still belong to a critique group. By sharing my writing, I test my story for weak spots, and get ideas and remedies for my story’s glitches. Best of all, I get to hang out with a bunch of interesting people who love to write.

Luis in younger days

After I earned my Bronze MedalAward, my Morgan horse, Luis, and I retired from showing at dressage competitions. Over the years, he has been a dependable friend who has taken me on many trails and roundups. He is now thirty-one-years old, and along with Mick, my younger horse, enjoys napping in the shade of the oaks on our back acre.

The Porter Ranch’s fall roundup went well. The weaned calves have been auctioned, and the cows are awaiting the birth of their new calves.

The hay has been mowed, baled, and stacked in the barn. Long summer days wane. Soon the fields will again be disked and prepared for planting in anticipation of winter's life-giving rain.

Labor Day signals my vacation is over; it is time for me to go to work on a new novel. For inspiration, I am reading Practical Tips for Writing Popular Fiction by Robyn Carr. This enjoyable writing guide advises: read extensively, gain a working knowledge of written English, write what you love to read, write what you know and what fascinates you, and invest time in learning to write well.

All good advice.

Of course, there is no magic formula. No amount of reading how-to books will improve writing skills. That only happens by writing, by searching for the right words to describe a scene or reveal a character’s inner turmoil, by being open to critique, and revising. The challenge to write a good story with great characters takes work and is often frustrating. Yet that’s what hooked me on writing. No matter how many books I write, stretching my skills to create outstanding characters and interesting stories is what makes writing engrossing and fun.

In 1978, a school district in Sonoma, California celebrated women’s contributions to culture, history and society. Hundreds of students from dozens of schools participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest, and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa. A few years later, the idea had caught on, and in 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week. The next year, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution and established it as a week long national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned United States Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March as Women’s History Month. The Captain Henry Sweetser Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has invited me to speak at their meeting on March 16th. In honor of Women’s History Month, the women in my husband’s family will be the topic of my talk. Rosa Sparks Porter was a fascinating woman with a strong sense of self. She inherited part of a Mexican land grant rancho from her father, Isaac Sparks, and because of her management most of the Porter Ranch is still in the family today. Her lineage can be traced back to Tahiti and the Bounty mutiny. Barbara Juarez Wilson published a book, From Mission to Majesty, with tons of information about the women in Rosa's ancestry. The London Missionary Society kept an account of their time on Tahiti, and the Catholic Church has documents and baptismal records.The Bounty mutiny was famous, and ship logs were kept. To my amazement, The Mutiny on Board the H.M.S. Bounty by William Bligh, and The Mutiny of the Bounty by Sir John Barrow, first published in the late 1700s and early 1800s, are still sold on Amazon.For 2013, the National Women’s History Project selected the theme, "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics." For the list of their 2013 Honorees & Nominee go to:http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php

This cast iron bell, a replica of a bell mare, was a Christmas gift, and now prominently hangs by our front door. It reminds me of a story in the book The Blond Ranchero of how a Rancho Nipomo bell mare played an important role in retrieving horses Fremont’s battalion had mistakenly taken from the rancho on their march down California during the Mexican-American War. The Blond Ranchero was written by Rocky Dana, the great-grandson of Captain Dana. A bible of historical information about happenings on the old California rancho, it is primary resource reading for Dana Adobe docents. If you enjoy history, it’s available at: Dana AdobeSouth County Historical Society History Center of San Luis Obispo Countyor Amazon.com.Happy Reading in 2013!

The central coast of California's yearlyrainfall averages about 20 inches, and Christmas day is usually warm and sunny.So it is hard to imagine on Christmas Eve in 1846 a rainstorm heavy enough to kill horses almost devastated Fremont’s battalion as they marched over the Santa Ynez Mountains during the Mexican- American War. José spent that unhappy night sheltered from this terrible storm in a cold, dark cave. ****

After his parents separated, Christmas for Tim McGrew was not happy either. **** Geema pulled a fluttery-winged angel out of the box and held it up to the light. It looked like a huge, silver firefly. “This wishing angel belongs on the top. Every Christmas, Pop always topped the tree with it to wish on. Tim-Tom, you’re the man in the family now, so it’s your job.” A baseball-sized lump felt stuck in my throat. Me?I’m just a kid. I wasn’t supposed to be the man in the family? Not me. Dad should be here. Geema’s hair was twisted in a crazy topknot and decorated with a blue Christmas bow. She smiled at me, but her eyes looked kind of sad. She must miss Pop. My chest ached where my heart was supposed to be, and I took a deep breath, swallowed the glob of anger, and went to get a stepladder. As I climbed up, Geema steadied the ladder and handed me the angel. “Make sure it’s straight,” Betz said. With four women bossing me, I fastened the angel on the twiggy top. I clambered down and then took the stepladder back to the hall closet where Pop’s old jacket was hanging. The smell of his pipe tobacco still clung to the sleeve. If Pop were here, he’d know what to do about Dad. What was up with Dad anyway? Didn’t he miss us? He was away on the road a lot, but our family was always together on Christmas. He’d drive us around the neighborhood with my sisters “oohing” and “ahhing” over the bright Christmas lights, the rearing reindeer, and the Santas and elves. In the living room, the string of lights was plugged in, and the tree shimmered red, blue and green. On top, the angel’s silvery wings glowed. I squeezed my eyes shut and wished that Dad and Mom would get back together, and we’d be a family again.Find my books on AmazonOr Whimsical Publicaitons

Thank you, Beverly Stowe McClure, for tagging me to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. The hop rules require me to answer 10 predetermined questions, and then at the bottom of my post, I’ve listed authors who will answer the same ten questions on their blogs next Wednesday.

What is the title of your latest book?My young adult novel Remedy was just released in September.

Where did the idea come from for Remedy?I once wrote and illustrated a story for one of my riding students who owned a miniature burro. That story led me to write and illustrate the DANA Burro Picture Book Series. Then I went to see the wild burros when the Bureau of Land Management brought them to a nearby town to be adopted. They were charming and inspired me to write Remedy.

What genre does your book fall under?Remedy is a YA family/animal story told from two points of view, boy and burro.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?Thirteen-year-old Tim and feisty Laney should be played by new, unknown actors. Glenn Close or maybe Cher would be perfect for the role of the whacky, psychic grandma.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of Remedy?Tim McGrew thought things couldn’t get worse--until his family moves to his grandparent’s remote ranch on Nowhere Mountain.Who published your book?Both my young adult novels are published by Whimsical Publications.How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?At least a year. I write slowly, and my characters evolve as I write. My stories are set aside for a few months, revised many times, and shared with my critique group before I submit them to my publisher.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?The dog in Because of Winn-Dixie filled a void in India Opal’s life like the burro did in Tim’s. And the offbeat grandmother in A Year Down Yonder made me laugh. Tim’s grandmother is a hoot too.Who or What inspired you to write this book?Animals play big roles in all my stories. I’m inspired by the horses and all the wonderful pets I’ve known. Over the years, they have brought me joy, and comforted me if I felt lonely or sad. When I was about seven-years-old, I was attacked by a vicious dog, and our family’s loyal dog Puppy saved me from being torn to shreds. So it's easy to understand why animals hold a special place in my heart.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?Remedy’s cover is so charming. The wise-eyed burro, cute dog, and sulky-faced boy invite the reader to pick up the book.Next Wednesday check out these author's blogs to find out about their Next Big Thing.Diane CraverMarilyn MeredithRegina Puckett

A burro’s ears look comical and cute and make me smile. However, those funny ears belie the burro’s smart, quick, and wily personality. As a child I rode a burro and learned how clever they are.Our family had one horse that my sister and I took turns riding. If we went on a trail ride together, one of us had to ride a friend’s burro. It was stubborn but would follow the horses. As I recall, it had an appropriate name like Taco. Our saddle didn't fit the burro, and neither of us liked riding him. With no saddle, no thick mane to clutch, and a flat ironing board back, riding Taco bareback faster than a walk was precarious. Of course, when we went trail riding, the kids who rode horses always wanted to gallop, and Taco would race after them. Most times, the unfortunate sister riding the burro managed to stay on the choppy gaited donkey’s back, that is, unless Taco bucked. He didn’t give much of a buck, just enough to throw us off balance. Then we’d hit the ground hard, while Taco merrily kept running after the horses.My most remembered unanticipated burro dismount happened after a heavy rain that left giant puddles along the side of the trail. Cool weather made the horses frisky, and they took off at break neck speed, with Taco in hot pursuit. The race excited him and up went his heels, just once, but with enough force to throw me forward onto his neck, behind his huge ears. Then a strange thing happened. He stopped, moseyed to a big, muddy puddle, and lowered his head. Over those big black-tipped ears I slid, and splash, landed in the puddle. Taco’s innocent brown eyes stared down at me all wet and muddy, and then satisfied, turned and raced after the horses.Despite frequent falls, off horses as well as Taco, I kept climbing back on and never lost the joy of riding. For me, learning to ridehorseback was a trial and error, hands on experience. I eventually gained a glimmer into my horse’s mind and started anticipating her frequent misbehaviors. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed being taught by my many horse partners and feel blessed by every equine—for that matter all the pets—that have shared my life.My latest young adult novel, Remedy, the story of a boy and a wild burro, is now available at:Whimsical PublicationsAmazon.comSmashwords.com